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Photo: Anthony Maule

In the introduction to Laurent Philippon's soon-to-be-released 320-page tome entitled Hair: Fashion and Fantasy, the world-renowned French hair stylist writes, "Hair is the one part of our body that we can change whenever we want, without causing any permanent damage. We can dress it up or dress it down, to reflect our personality, to attract attention, to project a chosen identity or to seize the mood of the moment. In fact, hair is a sort of identity card that gives information about a person." And with these loving, opening words dedicated to his craft, Philippon — along with the help of members of the fashion and photography elite — guides the reader into celebrating "the art of hair." Entire sections dedicated to the most stunning examples of braids, curls, wigs, and chignons from fashion history fill the pages, with essays about memorable dos sprinkled throughout. Orlando Pita writes about "The Glamorous Mohawk," Patti Wilson praises the Afro, and Daphne Guinness explains her iconic cheetah hairstyle. The book hits shelves on December 10. In the meantime, click through the slideshow to get swept up in the seductive, transformative powers of hair.